Just outside Lichfield in the village of Whittington is the parish church of St Giles where I once attended the wedding of one of Mrs RM’s Uni friends. It cost about a zillion times more than our own wedding; I think her Dad owned the salt mine. I’m sure Mrs RM wants to tell me off… Continue reading BASS AT ITS BEST, NEARLY
Month: October 2016
LICHFIELD – TIRED OF MICROPUBS, TIRED OF LIFE
“Those who attain any excellence, commonly spend life in one pursuit; for excellence is not often gained upon easier terms”. Samuel Johnson, on completing the 1770 Good Beer Guide. What a wonderfully underrated little place Lichfield is. There’s not much to do, but its streets are made for walking. Mostly into the back of… Continue reading LICHFIELD – TIRED OF MICROPUBS, TIRED OF LIFE
THE CHAIN JOYS OF SUTTON COLDFIELD
An early start today to see Sutton Coldfield at its best. Which is basically Sutton Park, one of Birmingham’s busiest green spaces. The ducks were queuing up to dive in their special swimming pool. (PLEASE NOTE – These are Canadian geese which should be avoided. Thanks to Richard Coldwell for the info.) It’s a… Continue reading THE CHAIN JOYS OF SUTTON COLDFIELD
SHEFFIELD’S UNIVERSITY ARMS
Another day, another chance for me to embarrass my son by taking endless photos of Universities. We’re coming to an end of a week driving him round Open Days and Campus Tours. All very exciting, but I’ll spare you Guildford. Sheffield was a late addition, hence a second trip to Meadowhall in a week. Can’t… Continue reading SHEFFIELD’S UNIVERSITY ARMS
TESTING THE py HYPOTHESIS
A GUESS THE PUB SPECIAL TODAY You’ll notice a consistent theme in this blog, along the lines of “More isn’t necessarily better“. The number of OK but indifferent beers I get when a pump has half a dozen or more handpumps is rising by the day. Having said that, multi-pump pubs like that are still the… Continue reading TESTING THE py HYPOTHESIS
TOP 100 PUBS – KING CHARLES II, WORCESTER
I was tempted to give the Plough the nod as a Top 100 pub, just for their barely concealed contempt for Charles’s repeated request for samplers. Try doing that in a Sam Smiths pub with Sir Humphrey standing there mate ! Instead, I’m using equally spurious logic to make the award to the King Charles II… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – KING CHARLES II, WORCESTER
BORN PIPPY -A MONDAY NIGHT IN WORCESTER
There has to be a Top 100 pub in Worcester really. A year ago it would probably have been the Paul Pry, never the most predictable pub and apparently closed again. My visit on General election night was a year’s highlight, this pint of Hobsons a classic. On Monday night I met a couple of… Continue reading BORN PIPPY -A MONDAY NIGHT IN WORCESTER
MORE GBG ADDRESS FUN IN SMISBY
A pleasing number of new entries in industrial Derbyshire this year, and a rare visit to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, one of the great town names. Ashby hasn’t had a Beer Guide entry in my beery lifetime, so I’m amazed they’ve allowed Smisby to claim the Smisby Tap. Despite the name, it’s closer to Ashby (if you walk… Continue reading MORE GBG ADDRESS FUN IN SMISBY
SHEFFIELD – THAT QUANTITY/QUALITY DILEMMA AGAIN
I spent Sunday night in Sheffield, albeit a bit too close to Meadowhall for comfort. Shopping centres scare me, even at night. I use the slow train to Manchester via the Dark Peak for City matches occasionally. Apart from the views, you always get the joy of grumpy old walkers complaining about Stag & Hen… Continue reading SHEFFIELD – THAT QUANTITY/QUALITY DILEMMA AGAIN
ESCAPING HENLOW HEALTH FARM
Bedfordshire isn’t a hotbed of craft, or cask beer. But it does have at least three classic drinkers pubs. The fact that two of them serve immaculate Draught Bass is totally coincidental. I’ll be revisiting Bedford’s Wellington, and Leighton Buzzard’s Black Lion in the near future. The Buzzard pub crawl may well rival Nuneaton… Continue reading ESCAPING HENLOW HEALTH FARM
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